. >> in the united states, house speaker john boehner has been forced to withdraw a compromise tax bill as the so-called fiscal cliff of automatic spending cuts and tax hikes comes ever closer. >> his proposal, known as plan b, was shot down by republicans who refuse to support any tax increases. the plan would have raised taxes on income over $1 million. he says it is now up to president barack obama to come up with a solution. >> what could that mean for ordinary americans? our reporter went to find out. >> store manager jennifer thomas sells trendy designer fashions at her boutique in the u.s. capitol, washington, d.c. it is a tough business. competition is fierce, and it could get worse if the u.s. were to slip over the fiscal cliff. automatic tax hikes across the board would mean less disposable income for american consumers. >> i think our biggest concerns here are we will not be seeing people purchase as many items as they have in the past. we will see people buy jeans and a top, but they will not buy an additional pair of jeans or a dress on top of that. >> many customers are al